Director of Development

About the Asian American Federation

Founded in 1989, the Asian American Federation (AAF) is one of the strongest leadership voices advocating for better policies, services, and funding that lead to more justice and opportunity for Asian immigrants, one of the most historically under-resourced communities in New York City. As an umbrella leadership organization, we represent 70 community-based organizations serving 2.1million Asian New Yorkers, the fastest-growing population in the city, state and country.

Our Core Values

Our employees, interns, and volunteers are expected to embody AAF's core values:

• Lead With Integrity
• Purposeful Transparency
• Committed to Accountability
• Guided By Our Community

The Opportunity

AAF is seeking a Director of Development to join our team at a pivotal moment of growth. Across four interconnected program areas — Community Well-Being and Mental Health, Civic Engagement, Community Rapid Response, and Economic Inclusion — AAF leads through research, advocacy, resourcing, and nonprofit support so that its network of 70+ partner organizations can deliver critical services to Asian New Yorkers every day. In partnership with the CEO, the Director of Development will shape and drive the fundraising strategy that sustains and grows this work across all of these areas.

Reporting to the CEO, the Director of Development will lead the creation and execution of a comprehensive development strategy to increase non-governmental resources — raising public awareness about AAF’s work to protect and uplift vulnerable Asian New Yorkers, cultivating and stewarding private donor and funder relationships, and building the revenue pipelines needed to advance AAF's strategic goals. This is a unique opportunity to drive the financial growth and durability of one of New York's most distinctive and mission-driven civic organizations.

The Director of Development is expected to embody AAF's core values:

• Lead With Integrity
• Purposeful Transparency
• Committed to Accountability
• Guided By Our Community

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Execution

• Develop and implement an annual and multi-year fundraising strategy across foundation, corporate, events, and individual giving streams.
• Lead on fundraising events in collaboration with an event planning firm and AAF’s marketing and communications team.
• Achieve annual revenue goals in partnership with the AAF Board, CEO and senior leadership.
• Build and manage a diversified portfolio of donors and prospects, from major gifts to institutional funders.
• Cultivate new funding opportunities to meet the organizational general operating and programmatic needs through regular outreach, networking, and research.

Donor & Funder Relations

• Cultivate, steward, and grow relationships with existing corporate, foundation, and individual funders.
• Lead the full grant lifecycle for institutional funders — prospecting, writing proposals, reporting, and renewal — in close coordination with program staff and consultants (as appropriate).
• Develop personalized engagement strategies for major donors and high-capacity prospects.
• Represent AAF at donor meetings, funder convenings, networking events, marketing opportunities, and other relevant external events.

Communications & Donor Engagement

• Develop compelling fundraising materials — cases for support, impact reports, and donor correspondence — that communicate AAF's mission to a wide range of audiences.
• Partner with communications and marketing staff to align fundraising messaging with AAF's public narrative and advocacy work.
• With support from AAF operations and communications teams, lead donor appeals and campaigns, including year-end, digital, and event-based fundraising.

Database & Portfolio Management

• Oversee and optimize AAF's donor database to support prospect tracking, moves management, reporting, and stewardship workflows.
• Ensure accurate and timely recording of all gift transactions, pledges, and thank you notes.
• Produce regular pipeline and portfolio reports for the CEO and the Board.

Team Management & Board Collaboration

• Supervise development staff and/or consultants as the team grows and build the capacity of the team through ongoing training and development.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to leverage trustee networks and support board members in their fundraising roles.
• Collaborate closely with program, finance, grants and contracts and communications staff to ensure grants compliance and aligned messaging.

Qualifications

We are looking for an experienced development professional who brings both strategic vision and hands-on execution, someone energized by AAF's mission and by the complexity of fundraising in a diverse, multilingual, and fast-moving environment.

Required

• 8-10 years of progressively complex nonprofit fundraising experience , including 5+ years of experience with individual donors, and a demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding ambitious revenue goals.
• 3-5 years of team supervision or leadership experience
• Proven success managing institutional grants from private sources, including proposal writing and reporting.
• Experience cultivating and closing six-figure gifts from individual donors.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging for diverse audiences, from major donors to community members.
• Proficiency with fundraising CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, EveryAction, GiveButter, or similar).
• Commitment to AAF's mission and to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the work.

AAF offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage; paid time off; and a collaborative, mission-driven work environment.